On August 21, 2025, more than 600,000 teenagers across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland awoke to a day of nerves, anticipation, and, for many, jubilation as they opened their GCSE and Level 2 exam results. But the story those results tell is far more complex than a simple tally of grades—it’s a snapshot of a nation’s education system still recalibrating after years of pandemic disruption, policy shifts, and persistent inequalities.
Figures released by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) show that the proportion of UK GCSE entries awarded at least a grade 4 or C—considered a “standard pass”—fell slightly to 67.4% this year, down from 67.6% in 2024. While that might seem like a minor dip, it’s a signal of broader trends and challenges. According to BBC reporting, the pass rate in England saw a particular drop, falling from 67.4% to 67.1%, while Wales and Northern Ireland experienced slight increases. The percentage of students achieving the very top grades (7/A or above) nudged up from 21.8% to 21.9%, offering a glimmer of positive news amid the overall decline.
For students in Brighton and Hove, the numbers mirrored the national pattern. Only 48% achieved combined English and maths at grades 5 and above, compared to 52% last year—a notable fall that’s nonetheless in line with the national trend. Councillor Emma Daniel, cabinet member for children, families and youth services, struck a tone of encouragement, stating, “Your hard work and determination over the course of your time at school and throughout your studies have led you to this moment and you should all feel incredibly proud of what you’ve achieved.” She emphasized, as reported by the local press, that support is available for students needing guidance, especially through the council’s youth employability service.
Yet beneath the congratulatory messages, there’s a growing unease about what lies ahead for those who did not meet the required benchmarks in English and maths. In England, students who fail to secure at least a grade 4 in these core subjects are required to retake them during post-16 education, whether they move on to A-levels, T-levels, or vocational training. The policy, intended to ensure basic literacy and numeracy, has come under scrutiny. The BBC highlighted that nearly 23.4% of maths and English GCSEs were taken by students aged 17 and older this year, up from 20.9% in 2024—most of them resitting after previous attempts.
The pass rates for these older students are starkly lower than for their younger peers: just 20.9% of English entries and 17.1% of maths entries from those aged 17 and over were marked at grade 4 or higher. The Association of School and College Leaders’ general secretary, Pepe Di’Iasio, voiced his frustration to the press: “Once again we see that the majority of students who retake GCSE English and maths in post-16 education under a Government policy of mandatory resits continue to fall short of a grade 4 standard pass. It is utterly demoralising for these young people and there has to be a better way of supporting literacy and numeracy.”
Jill Duffy, head of the OCR exam board, described the situation as a “resit crisis.” She argued, “Tinkering at the edges of policy won't fix this. We need fundamental reform to maths and English secondary education... to support those who fall behind.” The Association of Colleges echoed that sentiment, warning that repeated resits can “undermine confidence and motivation.”
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has acknowledged these concerns, telling the PA news agency, “The curriculum and assessment review is looking at how best we can support 16 to 19-year-olds who don’t achieve the right level in maths and English. Of course I do want more students—particularly from less well-off backgrounds—to get a good pass at GCSE in English and maths because that’s the gateway to so much more.” The Department for Education maintains that “a minimum of a grade 4 in English and maths should continue to be the ambition for as many learners as possible,” but is reviewing what measures might help more students reach that goal.
Beyond the headlines about falling pass rates, this year’s results shine a spotlight on persistent inequalities. Education Secretary Phillipson warned that the grades “expose the inequalities that are entrenched in our education system.” The regional gap in pass rates is a case in point: London boasted the highest pass rate at 71.6%, while the West Midlands lagged at 62.9%. Encouragingly, the difference between the best- and worst-performing regions narrowed to 8.7 percentage points this year, down from 9.4 last year, but it’s still wider than before the pandemic, when the gap hovered between 6.4 and 7.2 points. The narrowing is not due to rising fortunes in lower-performing regions, but rather a sharper decline in London’s results.
Gender disparities, too, have shifted. Girls continue to outperform boys, but the gap in pass rates has shrunk to 6.1 percentage points, its lowest on record this century. Data stretching back to 2000 reveals that the gap was at its widest in 2017 (9.5 points) and has been narrowing ever since. The Education Policy Institute has linked the relative drop in girls’ performance to “worrying trends around girls' wellbeing,” including mental health and social media pressures.
Other trends are reshaping the educational landscape. For the first time ever, Spanish has overtaken French as the most popular GCSE language subject, with 136,871 entries for Spanish compared to 132,808 for French. Jill Duffy suggested that Spanish’s status as a “massive global language” and its associations with holiday destinations and football stars make it more appealing to students. The Association of School and College Leaders welcomed Spanish’s rise but expressed concern about the declining popularity of French and German.
Amid these shifts, educators and officials have been quick to celebrate students’ resilience. John McKee, chairman of Brighton and Hove’s secondary headteacher group, offered a message of unity and pride: “The 2025 results are more than just a number. They reflect the determination of our young people, the expertise of our educators and a city-wide commitment to equity and excellence in education.”
Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator of Ofqual, described this year’s GCSE results as “stable” compared to the previous two years, noting, “The standard of work required to achieve a grade seven or a grade four at GCSE is the same this year as it was last year, and what we’re seeing is statistically insignificant changes at those key grades from last year to this year.”
For this year’s cohort, many of whom began secondary school in the shadow of Covid-19, these results mark the end of a uniquely turbulent chapter. As they plot their next steps—whether into sixth form, college, apprenticeships, or the workforce—students and educators alike face both familiar and fresh challenges. But as Councillor Daniel put it, “Finishing secondary school is about more than just grades and results, so it's also important for us to celebrate everything our students have accomplished outside of examinations, particularly the achievements of our pupils with special educational needs.”
While the numbers may fluctuate and policies may change, the determination and adaptability shown by students, teachers, and families throughout these testing times are achievements that can’t be measured by grades alone.
